Mount for helmet headband suspensions



June 1959 w. J. LEE ETAL 2,892,194

MOUNT FOR HELMET HEADBAND SUSPENSIONS Filed Dec. 27, 1957 2e j WA R96 ES: 219/ E 1?. INVENTOR$ a? Wilbur JLee. E; 30 John/M19919- \i 29 BY 019%,

' ATTORNEY United States. Patent asszjm MOUNT FOR HELMET HEADBANDSUSPENSIONS Wilbur J. Lee, Williamsville, and John M. Egly, Tonawanda, N.Y., assignors to the United States of America as represented by the-Secretary of the Army The invention relates to headband suspensions for headcovering such as protective helmets or the like. In the past, such suspensions were usually secured permanently to the helmet, particularly in the instance of suspensions like that disclosed in the patent to Riddell, No. 2,250,275 where the head band is supported on chordal portions of an inelastic endless band which was permanently secured to the helmet shell at spaced intervals. Latterly, it has been proposed to provide an adjustable support for such endless band or flexible member, and also to provide means for readily detachably securing it to the shell or to an annular base which itself is readily detachably secured to the shell. From a military point of view, it is highly desirable that any such structure be one which can be operated with no other tools than the fingers and be one which can be operated in poor light or in the dark by the sense of touch.

With the foregoing in view, it is an object of the invention to provide improved means for connecting a head band either to a helmet shell or to an annular base carried by the shell.

A further object is to provide such an improvement which includes crimping means for frictionally tightening a previously made loose connection after adjustment of the latter.

Other objects and advantages reside in the particular structure of the device, the structure of the several elements of the same, combinations and sub-combinations of such elements, all of which will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art upon reference to the attached drawing showing one embodiment of the invention and to the following specification wherein the same is described and claimed.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 is a bottom plan view of a protective helmet to which a preferred embodiment of the invention has been applied;

Figure 2 is an elevational view of the suspension, parts being omitted, parts being fragmentarily shown and parts of the helmet being shown in vertical section; and

Figures 3, 4, 5 and 6 are enlarged, fragmentary, sectional views taken respectively substantially on the planes of the lines 33, 4-4, 5-5, and 6-6, of Figure 2.

Referring specifically to the drawing wherein like reference characters designate like parts in all views, 10 designates generally any suitable head covering such as a helmet liner. Such shell or liner 10 has an interior surface to which the device of the invention may be secured directly or, as illustrated, on which an annular base 11 may be readily detachably secured. In the form illustrated, the shell 10 is provided with a circumferential series of spaced keystone-shaped bosses 12 which are provided with flanges providing clips 13. The base or band 11 is formed with upwardly directed notches 14 which fit the bosses 12. Band 11 is frictionally secured on bosses 12 by the clips 13. Obviously other means of connecting the base 11 to the shell 10 may be used. .The base 11 may also include a circumferential series of spaced and slotted tabs 15 to which are connected the straps 16 of any suitable head suspension or cradle 17 such as that disclosed in U.S. Patent No. 2,679,046. The headband ofthe invention may comprise that of the Riddell patent aforesaid and comprises a sweatband 18 which may be adjustable by any suitable buckle means 19 and which is supported by any suitable clips or fastening means 20 on chordal portions 21 of anendless flexible member 22 which is itself preferably adjustable as to length by the buckle or the like 23.

The chordal portions 21 ofthe flexible member 22 are formed by anchoring spaced portions of such member to the band 11 by means now to be described. Such means comprises a circumferential series of spaced projections 24 which are either formed on or attached to the band 11 so as to project radially inwardly of the same between certain of the tabs 15 and clips 13. In the embodiment illustrated, the projections 24 comprise vertically disposed, hollow semicylindrical bosses which are open at the upper and lower ends and which are formed with aligned vertical slots 25 on opposite sides thereof. The flexible member 22 is threaded through the slots 25 so as to provide flexible member portions 26 which extend across the bosses 24 inwardly of the same. The loose connection between the suspension 18 and the base 11 thus provided permits the flexible member 22 to be adjusted by the buckle or the like 23 to the desired tension. Such loose connection is tightened by crimping inserts 27.

The crimping inserts 27 in the form illustrated, comprise substantially semicylindrical members having curved outer surfaces which are complementary to the inner surfaces of the bosses 24 so as to have a close sliding fit therewith and free crimping edges 30 (Figures 3 and 4). The upper ends of the inserts 27 are enlarged in any suitable manner as by the arcuate flanges 28 to not only provide stops limiting the insertion of the inserts 27 in the bosses 24 but also to provide finger grips for facilitating the removal of the inserts therefrom. The lower ends of the inserts 27 are beveled or tapered as at 29, Figure 4, so as to engage the flexible member portions 26 as the inserts are inserted and cam such portions to crimped positions where they are held against the base 11 by the free edges 30 of the inserts 27. When the inserts 27 have been inserted, a frictionally tight connection between the suspension 18 and the base 11 is provided which secures the suspension and the flexible member 22 against endwise movement and also prevents further adjustment of the latter.

It is apparent from the foregoing that if further adjustment is necessary, it is a simple matter to withdraw the base 11 from the shell 10 by merely forcing it downwardly from beneath the clips 13. Thereafter, it is easy to pry up the crimping inserts 27 by the flanges 28 to create the loose connection previously described. Clearly no special tools are required. Likewise, it should be noted that the inserts 27 may be readily replaced if lost in the field by merely Whittling substitutes from twigs or like pieces of scrap wood.

Moreover, while there has been shown and described what is now considered to be a preferred embodiment of the invention, it is understood that the same is susceptible of other forms and expressions. Consequently, the invention is not considered to be restricted to the species shown and described hereinabove except as hereinafter claimed.

We claim:

In a headcovering including a substantially rigid and endless portion comprising a base, a headband, and a headband suspension, said base being adapted to be readily releasably secured to said headband suspension for the headcovering, said suspension including an endless flexible memberoutwardly oflsaid headband; the improvement comprising mounting means for readily releasably securing said flexible member. to said base, said mounting means comprising a plurality" of circumferentially spaced projections on said base; saidprojections: being vertically disposed hollow semicylindrical bosses having. arcuate inner surfaces spaced inwardly of said base, said bosses each-beingformedwith two alignedvertical slots therethrough, said flexible member being threaded through said-slots to providea looseconnection between said base and suspension with flexible member portions extending across said bosses-inwardly: thereof, said bosses havingopen. upper ends, a crimping insert for each-boss, said inserts comprising segments of hollow cylinders and having outer surfaces complementary to saidbosses, said inserts beinginsertable into said bosses through said open upper ends, and said inserts each having two laterally spaced crimping edges adapted. to crimp. said, flexible member portions in said bosses, whereby to provide a frictionally tight connection between said base and sus- 5 pension.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

